SR 99 Puyallup River Bridge Replacement

Atkinson will demolish the existing SR 99 bridge spans F-16 A&B and replace them with a new precast concrete girder bridge with four traffic lanes, two bike lanes, and two sidewalks. The bridge will feature an undulating weathering steel paraboloid — nicknamed the “Gateway to Tacoma”— that will frame the City of Tacoma when heading west into the town, and frame the landscape of the Puyallup River when heading east. The new gateway structure will consist of 17 steel “ribs” that span the width of the bridge over 6 sets of railroad tracks, enabling the team to seamlessly integrate the railroad safety fence.

As part of the design-build process, the project team developed a reverse-launch demolition scheme, allowing Atkinson to remove the existing steel truss bridge without impacting rail operations below.